Back in April 2022, Scarlet Fusion went through the Keeneland Horses of Racing Age sale, where Carl Moore and Brad Grady bought the 4-year-old son of Curlin for US$110,000. On January 28, 2023, Scarlet Fusion showed what he has learned under the patient tutelage of trainer Joe Sharp—and also what his connections have learned about him. Sent after Sam Houston Race Park’s John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (USA-G3) at a mile and one-half on soft turf, the horse responded well to being ridden along during the early going and still had more than enough in the tank to run down Another Mystery and Spooky Channel in deep stretch. For his effort, he earned his first stakes win and a purse of US$115,200.
Scarlet Fusion is the last foal and last runner for his dam Scarlet Tango, who emerged from a nice regional family in Maryland and, without much fanfare, put together a broodmare career that would be the envy of many a mare with a better race record and a bluer-blooded pedigree. Foaled in 1998, she was sired by 1995 Jerome Handicap (USA-G2) winner French Deputy, a good sire son of Deputy Minister, out of Silver Tango, a mare that was Grade 3-placed and a nine-time winner of black-type stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit. A half sister to restricted stakes winner Sentimental Tango (by Sentimental Slew), Silver Tango is, in turn, by 1976 Fayette Handicap winner Silver Badge out of the winning Princely Pleasure mare Royal Tango.
A half sister to restricted stakes winners Dale’s Prospect (by Pioneering) and Our Commander (by Tenpins), Scarlet Tango finished second in the Laura Gal Stakes at Laurel as a 2-year-old and won four times from 18 starts. Her first mating was to perennial Maryland leading sire Not for Love in 2003, producing a winning filly named Scarlet Love. She next went to Grand Slam and hit the jackpot with Visionaire, the winner of the 2008 NetJets King’s Bishop Stakes (USA-G1) and Gotham Stakes (USA-G3). A handsome, muscular chestnut, Visionaire stood one season at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky and then was exported to South Africa, where he was champion freshman sire in 2015. His nine stakes winners include South African Group 1 winners Good Traveller and Takingthepeace.
After producing three foals of no significance, Scarlet Tango produced a full sister to Visionaire, the winning 2009 filly Zaharias, who is the dam of 2021 Dixie Belle Stakes winner Windmill (by Street Sense). Zaharias was followed by the 2010 Smart Strike filly Scarlet Strike, who won the 2013 Providencia Stakes (USA-G3) and was Grade 1-placed three times. Scarlet Strike is the dam of 2021 Supreme Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Toro Strike (by Toronado) and has a 2021 filly by Constitution and a 2022 filly by Candy Ride as her most recent foals.
Scarlet Tango was barren in 2011 but got right back into the groove in 2012, producing Tara’s Tango to a cover by Unbridled’s Song. Grade 2-placed as a 3-year-old, Tara’s Tango put it all together at 4, winning the 2016 Santa Margarita Stakes (USA-G1), Santa Maria Stakes (USA-G2), and Rancho Bernardo Handicap (USA-G3). She has gotten her broodmare career off to a good start, producing 2022 New Kent County Virginia Derby (USA-G3) winner Capensis (by Tapit) as her second foal. A 2020 colt by Curlin was never named, and the mare’s most recent foal is Mount Fuji, a 2021 colt by Quality Road.
Madison’s Luna, a 2015 Tapit gelding, became Scarlet Tango’s fourth graded stakes winner when he won the 2018 Hutcheson Stakes (USA-G3). She produced one more foal, the winning Speightstown gelding Philosophy, before coming up with Scarlet Fusion at the age of 20. The mare died not long afterward, leaving her legacy in her daughters and one remaining ungelded son, who appears to be coming into his own but is not likely to be appealing to the American stallion market even if he continues moving up the class scale. Half a century from now, we will have a better idea of Scarlet Tango’s full importance; in the meantime; there is still one more tango left to enjoy as Scarlet Fusion continues his racing career.
Scarlet Fusion is the last foal and last runner for his dam Scarlet Tango, who emerged from a nice regional family in Maryland and, without much fanfare, put together a broodmare career that would be the envy of many a mare with a better race record and a bluer-blooded pedigree. Foaled in 1998, she was sired by 1995 Jerome Handicap (USA-G2) winner French Deputy, a good sire son of Deputy Minister, out of Silver Tango, a mare that was Grade 3-placed and a nine-time winner of black-type stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit. A half sister to restricted stakes winner Sentimental Tango (by Sentimental Slew), Silver Tango is, in turn, by 1976 Fayette Handicap winner Silver Badge out of the winning Princely Pleasure mare Royal Tango.
A half sister to restricted stakes winners Dale’s Prospect (by Pioneering) and Our Commander (by Tenpins), Scarlet Tango finished second in the Laura Gal Stakes at Laurel as a 2-year-old and won four times from 18 starts. Her first mating was to perennial Maryland leading sire Not for Love in 2003, producing a winning filly named Scarlet Love. She next went to Grand Slam and hit the jackpot with Visionaire, the winner of the 2008 NetJets King’s Bishop Stakes (USA-G1) and Gotham Stakes (USA-G3). A handsome, muscular chestnut, Visionaire stood one season at Crestwood Farm in Kentucky and then was exported to South Africa, where he was champion freshman sire in 2015. His nine stakes winners include South African Group 1 winners Good Traveller and Takingthepeace.
After producing three foals of no significance, Scarlet Tango produced a full sister to Visionaire, the winning 2009 filly Zaharias, who is the dam of 2021 Dixie Belle Stakes winner Windmill (by Street Sense). Zaharias was followed by the 2010 Smart Strike filly Scarlet Strike, who won the 2013 Providencia Stakes (USA-G3) and was Grade 1-placed three times. Scarlet Strike is the dam of 2021 Supreme Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Toro Strike (by Toronado) and has a 2021 filly by Constitution and a 2022 filly by Candy Ride as her most recent foals.
Scarlet Tango was barren in 2011 but got right back into the groove in 2012, producing Tara’s Tango to a cover by Unbridled’s Song. Grade 2-placed as a 3-year-old, Tara’s Tango put it all together at 4, winning the 2016 Santa Margarita Stakes (USA-G1), Santa Maria Stakes (USA-G2), and Rancho Bernardo Handicap (USA-G3). She has gotten her broodmare career off to a good start, producing 2022 New Kent County Virginia Derby (USA-G3) winner Capensis (by Tapit) as her second foal. A 2020 colt by Curlin was never named, and the mare’s most recent foal is Mount Fuji, a 2021 colt by Quality Road.
Madison’s Luna, a 2015 Tapit gelding, became Scarlet Tango’s fourth graded stakes winner when he won the 2018 Hutcheson Stakes (USA-G3). She produced one more foal, the winning Speightstown gelding Philosophy, before coming up with Scarlet Fusion at the age of 20. The mare died not long afterward, leaving her legacy in her daughters and one remaining ungelded son, who appears to be coming into his own but is not likely to be appealing to the American stallion market even if he continues moving up the class scale. Half a century from now, we will have a better idea of Scarlet Tango’s full importance; in the meantime; there is still one more tango left to enjoy as Scarlet Fusion continues his racing career.
RSS Feed